*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There are times you need gravy for a dish, but you don't have anything roasting in the oven that will provide the drippings. Or, perhaps you are planning a large meal (such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner) and would like to make the gravy ahead, instead of having to whip it together right before you all sit down to eat. But since a traditional gravy requires the drippings from a turkey, chicken, or beef roast, it seems impossible to put together without this essential ingredient.

Luckily, you can make gravy using lard, oil, or bacon grease and flour as the base. Will it be as good as gravy made with the flavorful drippings from roasted meat or chicken? Possibly not. But it will still be delicious!

Steps to Make It

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the fat for 2 minutes.

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Add the flour, whisking constantly to combine.

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

When drippings and flour are combined, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, whisking often.

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, still whisking often.

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, again whisking often.

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Serve and enjoy!

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Tips

Cajuns love rice and gravy and could have it at almost every meal, indeed, sometimes as a meal. For this reason, the recipe makes about 12 cups, which will leave you with plenty of leftovers. Good thing is that gravy can be frozen. Portion out by cups into airtight containers and place in the freezer until ready to use. Simply defrost what you need and heat the gravy.

The proportion of fat to flour in this recipe makes a thick gravy. For a thinner gravy use less flour—the standard ratio is equal parts of oil and flour.

To get the most flavorful gravy, use a rich tasting stock. If you use a concentrated form, such as Better Than Bullion, you can make the stock with more intense flavor.

If you feel like gravy isn't gravy without the drippings, you can save them (as many Cajun cooks do) from cooked chicken, beef, pork, and duck and place in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the gravy.